The Window 1907

Odilon Redon conjured this painting, ‘The Window’, using oil paint, though we don't know exactly when. It's a stained-glass window that looks both heavy and airy, all at the same time. The real action here is in the texture. Redon’s built up the paint, layering and stippling it, like he's trying to capture not just the light, but the very feeling of being inside a cathedral. Look closely at the way the light kind of vibrates in the center of the window, a burst of pale greens and blues surrounded by these warm, earthy tones. There's a softness that almost feels like a memory of light. Looking at this piece, I'm reminded of the work of Gustave Moreau, another French Symbolist. But while Moreau goes for grandeur, Redon seems to be after something more intimate, more personal. It's a kind of dream, rendered in paint, where the boundaries between seeing and feeling start to blur.